Joseph Brady (1828–1908) was an Irish born, civil engineer active in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, Australia, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, undertaking works on railways, water supplies and ports. Among his more important works were the Coliban Water Supply for Bendigo, and Melbourne Port improvements.[1]

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Joseph Brady was born on 18 August 1828 near Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland. He worked on the English Tithe Commutation Survey in 1842-44 working with his father where he gained skills in field surveying and draftsmanship. He then became an assistant engineer to Charles B. Vignoles on railway surveys in Lincolnshire and Kent as well as working on the Skipton, Sedbergh and Lancaster railway.[2]

Bradley migrated in 1850 aboard the Argyle to Sydney, Australia where he became a draftsman with the newly formed Sydney Railway Company,[2] and then advanced to the position of assistant engineer on 24 July 1851, undertaking surveys and supervising construction for the company's Sydney and Parramatta Railway. He also took charge of surveys and construction of the Sydney - Mittagong line which served the newly opened iron ore mines. He acted as chief engineer, but shortly after a new chief was appointed in 1857, he resigned and returned to Victoria.[1]

In Victoria, Brady became engineer with Edward N. Emmett's Bendigo Water Works Company, for whom he designed and constructed the original town reservoir and reticulation services between 1858 and 1863. After a break on railway projects he won the Victorian government prize of £500 for the best scheme to supply water to the Bendigo and Mount Alexander goldfields. By 23 December 1858 he had completed surveys and drafted plans for eight reservoirs and a system of connecting aqueducts.[3] Brady returned to the Bendigo waterworks in 1871 to construct an additional reservoir, settling ponds and extend reticulation. In 1873 country water supplies were taken over by the Victorian government Water Supply Department under chief engineer, George Gordon (engineer) who appointed Brady as engineer for the Bendigo district of the Goulburn River supply.[1]

Railway work followed for contractors Cornish & Bruce including the section of the Bendigo Railway between Woodend and Castlemaine, which had the heaviest earthworks on the line. In 1869-71 he moved to the first section of the north-eastern railway line from Melbourne to Seymour for O'Grady, Legatt & Noonan. This work included a large plate girder bridge over the Goulburn River.[2]

In between these posts, Brady traveled to Queensland to provide advice and designs for the navigational improvements on the Brisbane and Bremer Rivers between Brisbane and Ipswich in 1864 involving much submarine blasting. He took on a position as Engineer of Harbours and Rivers to the Brisbane Board of Water Works, on 21 January 1865, as well as working for the Enoggera Water Works, designing and constructing a reservoir, gravitational works and reticulation systems for the City of Brisbane in around 1865-1867. He produced reports on the Bremer River railway bridge, and on 3 August 1867 accepted a role to manage construction on the Western railway line from Brisbane to Dalby which continued to about 1869. His salary of £600 and monthly bonus of £25 were substantial for the time.[1]

When the Melbourne Harbour Trust was formed in 1877, Brady was one of the first applicants for the position of Chief Engineer. His previous success with railway and water projects appears to have impressed the commissioners, and so he won the position.[2] While the Trust engaged Sir John Coode to provide advice and designs on the harbour improvements, Bradey was able to convince the scommissioners to accept his modification resulting in consuiderable efficiencies and cost savings. these involved using Australian hardwood timber piled wharfs instead of Coode's masonry, and excavating a single large basin for what became Victoria Dock rather than several small docks. As a result, Melbourne gained one of the largest single excavated dock basins in the World, which put the Harbour Trust in good stead for the next 80 years.

Brady was in charge of works amounting to around £3,500,000, only about half of which was part of Coode's plans. He resigned in 1891 and was awarded a hororarium of £1500 for his service. He then continued as a private consultant and arbitrator on engineering disputes until his retirement in 1894.[1]

Brady married Adelaide Sarah Keck, (the daughter of Henry Keck, the governor of Darlinghurst gaol), at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, on 14 February 1854. they had seven surviving children. The eldest son, Lyndon Francis, moved to Western Australia where he was a pioneer of the timber business as manager with the Millar Karri and Jarrah Co. Georgina was the only daughter to marry, her husband, Edward Wardell, was master of the Melbourne Mint. Brady died on 8 July 1908 at his home, 'Allowah', in Staniland Grove, Elsternwick.[1]

Brady was also an artist, with a number of watercolours attributed to him including a fine rendering of the first Princes Bridge in Melbourne.[7]